Styles of Studying in University.

N

21

Achievement Need; Business Administration Education; College Students; Comparative Analysis; Computer Science Education; Departments; Education Majors; Foreign Countries; Higher Education; Interviews; Learning Strategies; Liberal Arts; Majors (Students); Questionnaires; Reading Comprehension; Research Methodology; Social Sciences; Student Motivation; Study Skills

The study styles employed by a sample of Finnish university students were investigated. In the first study phase, 238 students described general study styles/approaches, using a questionnaire developed by Entwistle, which included 30 Likert-type items from the following dimensions: achievement orientation, reproducing orientation, meaning orientation, comprehension orientation (deep versus surface), operation learning, and pathological styles (improvidence and globetrotting). Most students were from four departments: education (86), business administration (57), computer science (35), and arts (45). Fifteen students were from other fields, including the social sciences. In the second research phase, 34 students were interviewed and completed the questionnaire about their studying habits in specific situations. The interview focused on students' activities in an independent study situation (e.g., when preparing for a test). Computer science students said they studied for exams mainly by attending classes and doing homework; they did not make conscious decisions about study procedures. However, most education students described their study strategies, which differed depending on the form of test they expected. Additional findings and conclusions concerning the questionnaire and interview methodologies are provided. A two-page list of references concludes the document. (SW)

1986

ED272094